TACLOBAN CITY – Government troops under the Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade seized high-powered firearms, ammunition, and subversive documents in separate operations targeting remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Samar and Leyte, the military reported.
On September 11, soldiers from the 63rd Infantry Battalion (63IB) recovered an R4A3 rifle, an M16 rifle, two short magazines, 158 rounds of 5.56 ammunition, and a civilian backpack containing intelligence documents after scouring an encounter site in Barangay Magtino, Llorente, Eastern Samar. The haul came after an earlier clash in the area where troops seized two high-powered firearms, a .45-caliber pistol, backpacks, and personal belongings.
In a separate operation on September 12, soldiers from the 14th Infantry Battalion (14IB) uncovered an arms cache in the hinterland boundary of Barangay Maligaya, Mahaplag, Leyte, and Barangay Olisihan, Bontoc, Southern Leyte. Acting on information from a former rebel, troops recovered an M16 rifle, two short magazines, 39 rounds of 5.56 ammunition, subversive documents, and other items.
According to the military, the recovered weapons and materials belonged to remnants of former Platoon 1 of Island Committee LEVOX hiding in Leyte and Southern Leyte.
The series of operations resulted in the confiscation of four M16 rifles, one R4A3 rifle, one .45-caliber pistol, eight short magazines, three long magazines, a .45-caliber magazine with five rounds, 488 rounds of 5.56 ammunition, an Acer laptop, six backpacks, and various subversive documents.
Brigadier General Noel Vestuir, commander of the 802nd Brigade, lauded the 63IB and 14IB for the successful operations, saying the recovery of the firearms and ammunition significantly weakened the remaining CPP-NPA forces in the area.
“The successive accomplishments of our troops manifest that we are on the right track in our efforts to totally decimate the NPA remnants in our area. We are hitting our target—the SRC-SESAME and IC-LEVOX of the EVRPC in Samar and Leyte,” he said.
Vestuir added that the troops, with the help of local residents and former rebels, had tracked and displaced the insurgents from their hideouts. “We will continue to hunt them and ensure that communities will enjoy lasting peace free from communist terrorist threats,” he said.
Vestuir also reiterated his appeal to remaining rebel members to surrender, abandon the armed struggle, and return to their families to live peaceful, normal lives.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
